UN charter reminder for the attorney general | Letter

UN charter reminder for the attorney general | Letter

Richard Hermer’s comments on Trump and Venezuela show that he seems to have forgotten what it says, writes Mark Seddon One of my former UN bosses, María Fernanda Espinosa, made a point of sending a copy of the UN charter to the permanent representative of each member state on her election as president of the UN general assembly, by way of reminding them of their binding commitments. As she now intends to stand for election as the first female secretary general of that much-maligned organisation, perhaps it might be the time to consider doing the same again? Certainly Donald Trump, who has told us that his own personal morality and very big brain take precedence over international law, could do with a copy, as could Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, as the latter pair continue to dodge international arrest warrants. Continue reading...

Bra-burning was just a 1970s tabloid trope | Letter

Bra-burning was just a 1970s tabloid trope | Letter

Judith Condon is disappointed by Call the Midwife’s reductive depiction of the Women’s Liberation Movement What a pity to see Call the Midwife, still one of Britain’s most popular television series, stumbling into tired stereotypes about the Women’s Liberation Movement of the early 1970s. The first episode of the new series had the female characters attending a WLM meeting, then assembling to burn their bras over a brazier. The scene may have provided an amusing image of the various styles of bra, but was not worthy of a programme that has previously shone much light on the everyday lives of women in postwar Britain. Continue reading...

Religious tradition, child safety and the law on circumcision | Letters

Religious tradition, child safety and the law on circumcision | Letters

Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain , Ray Flynn and another reader respond to the news that the practice is classed as possible child abuse in a draft Crown Prosecution Service document I would welcome criminalising circumcision if it was performed by an unqualified person – just as would be the case if someone unqualified conducted any other surgical operation ( Circumcision classed as possible child abuse in draft CPS document, 10 January ). But leaping from that to banning the practice altogether is not justified. Given that it is a longstanding and important tradition among Jews, Muslims and various other cultures, the best way forward is to only permit circumcision if it is practised by someone specifically qualified for it and who belongs to a nationally accredited scheme. This would involve compulsory training, monitoring all cases and producing annual reports. Continue reading...

Adam Peaty’s family have ‘given up hope’ of reconciliation after Gordon Ramsay dig as parents fear ‘he made his choice’

Adam Peaty’s family have ‘given up hope’ of reconciliation after Gordon Ramsay dig as parents fear ‘he made his choice’

ADAM Peaty’s family have told friends they've "given up hope" of reconciling with their son after Gordon Ramsay’s latest dig. The Olympian's new father-in-law called himself "dad" as he commented on a clip of Adam's wedding speech, in which he declared he would “always choose” Holly. The subtle snub after Adam, 31, reportedly uninvited his parents...

West Wing’s Timothy Busfield accused of misconduct with TWO more minors as cops call him a ‘serious danger to children’

West Wing’s Timothy Busfield accused of misconduct with TWO more minors as cops call him a ‘serious danger to children’

THE WEST Wing actor Timothy Busfield has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor and acting inappropriately with another after claims he groomed and groped two children on a TV show set. In new documents filed ahead of Busfield’s court hearing on Wednesday, prosecutors argued the director and actor should remain behind bars until his...